The present exemplary embodiment relates generally to a method and color editing subsystem for color editing of electronic images. It finds particular application in editing color characteristics of electronic images using various techniques to analyze the original image to identify its color characteristics and to identify a recommended set of color editing options associated with the original color characteristics. The recommended set of color editing options is less than a complete set of color editing options provided by the color editing subsystem. The recommended set of color editing options is relevant to the original image or more likely to be selected by a user in editing the image. The reduction of color editing options makes color editing operations easier, particularly to users that do not understand the details of color characteristics. However, it is to be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments described herein are also amenable to color editing of electronic images in an electronic document file and to iteratively performing the color editing process on a given image.
Color printing and image processing applications require a user interface that allows the user to communicate color requirements or instructions. The internal description of these requirements is a highly precise color encoding which is arcane to the uninitiated. Some digital imaging and document editing applications on the market provide powerful and sophisticated tools for experienced users. The learning curve for such tools is quite steep. Other applications provide simple, automatic image fix options for the inexperienced user. However these offer the user little control over the result.
A previous color editing solution introduced a natural language color control system with a dictionary of ordinary language color terms and a working color space, an ordinary language command lexicon, and syntax for use with the ordinary language color terms that correspond to transformations in the working color space. In this system, every portion of the working color space is mapped to at least one term in the color term dictionary. The natural language color control system provides a natural language interface by which users can construct color change sentences to specify the changes they want to make to the image. The system converts these sentences to the mathematical color encodings and makes the specified changes to the image. For additional information on natural language color control systems, see U.S. Pat. App. Publication No. 2008/0007749 to Woolfe, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
A natural language color control system is easier for inexperienced users than the previous sophisticated tools. However, there are many possible sentences that may be constructed by the system. Users may be paralyzed or unsure how to proceed because of the amount of choices available to them. This may slow down the color editing being performed by the user and may create other inefficiencies, particularly if the user has to use trial and error methods or otherwise repeat adjustments to color characteristics until they are satisfied with the transformation.